Lingerie clasp



April 3, 1928. 1,664,716

P. E. WIBERG LINGERIE CLASP Filed April 17. 1926 I Pete/11116561. $511M 3410mm Patented Apr. 3, 1928.

UNITED STATES PATENT GFFICE.

PETER E. WIBERG, OF EAST ORANGE, NEW JERSEY, ASSIGNOR TO ART WIRE AND STAMPING COMPANY, OF NEWARK, NEW JERSEY, A CORPORATION OF NEW JERSEY.

LINGERIE CLASP.

Application filed April 17,

This invention relates generally to lingerie clasps or the like and has for its main object and feature the provision of means whereby the clasp may be made more flexible than heretofore and at the same time may remain locked.

In the accompanying drawings, the invention is disclosed in a concrete and preferred form in which:

F ig. 1 is a View in side elevation of a lingerie clasp embodying the invention;

Fig. 2 is a transverse sectional view on the plane of line 2-2 of Fig. 1;

Figs. 3 and 4 are plan yiews of the opposed faces of the complementary fastening means;

Figs. 5 and 6 are diagrammatic views showing the clasp subjected to different bending stresses.

1 indicates a member of sheet material bent back upon itself to form two legs shown and provided with complementary fastening means at its free ends 2 and 3. These fastening means here take the following form: End 2 is provided with turnedover side portions 4 extending inwardly toward each other and forming grooves as shown; and is also preferably provided with a turned-over end portion 5. End 3 is provided with turned-over side portions 6 extending inwardly toward each other that constitute a tongue and is also preferably provided with a turned-over end portion 7. The fastening means are resilient so that when the ends of the legs are pressed sufficiently toward each other the tongue and groove engage and become latched, said tongue and groove, extending as they do lengthwise of the legs, also constitute a slidable connection, which responds to bending stresses imparted to the legs transversely of their length, in a direction substantially parallel to the length of the legs while retaining latching engagement with each other.

as indicated in Figs. 5 and 6. Heretofore a ball and socket construction has been used as a fastening means but the ball and socket of sheet material bent back upon itself to form two legs, and complementary fastening and releasing means at the free ends thereof consisting of a resilient tongue and groove extending lengthwise of the legs to be latched together by pressing the ends of the legs sufficiently toward each other to cause engagement between said tongue and groove, and said tongue and groove also constituting a slidable connection, which re sponds to bending stresses imparted to the legs transversely of their length, in a direction substantially parallel to the length of the legs while retaining latching engagement with each other. 7 V

2. A lingerie clasp including: a member of sheet material bent back upon itself to form two legs, and complementary fastening and releasing means at the free ends thereof consisting of a resilient tongue and groove, each formed of turned-over side portions of the legs extending inwardly toward each other, extending lengthwise of the legs to be latched together by pressing the ends of the legs suflicientlytoward each other to cause engagement between said tongue and groove, and said tongue and groove also constituting a slidable connection, which responds to bending stresses imparted to the legs transversely of their length, in a direction substantially parallel to the length of the legs while retaining latching engagement PETER E. WIBERG. 

